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SATURDAY/saturday!

Whew, two down, twenty to go!

I am the producer and host of SATURDAY/saturday, a new interactive variety show at the iO theater. It’s a different kind of show for two reasons:

1- It mostly centers around interactive content such as improvised “Town Hall debates” (featuring Whirled News Tonight cast members as various politicians, with questions all from the audience), game shows with audience members, demonstrations utilizing audience members… It’s not short form games, but its also not long form or sketch…

2- I mostly come up with the above items, but everything else is created and submitted and performed by the hordes of iO performers. Anyone who is, or was, a student or performer at iO can submit their idea to me and if it’s fun, funny and can be staged its in the show. It can be an interactive event, a sketch, a song, what you got?

The submission process is very important to me. This is an opportunity for our ever-burgeoning community to create things on a weekly basis. I’m even keeping “office hours” at iO so people can come and talk to me about their idea or, better yet, show me! (I’m at iO listening to ideas on Sundays, 10am-Noon, and Thursdays, 10pm-Midnight. No appointment necessary but it’s a good idea to maybe check in.. Just in case it’s booked up.)

The first two shows were exhausting to me. Hopefully, the show itself will become easier to run but as it stands right now, I’m making changes and “calling audibles” every moment I’m not onstage.. and sometimes while I am on stage. I bought some ridiculous audience prizes at Target and the Dollar Store the other day and that was superfun. If I had a larger budget I’d like to include one actual great prize; like an iPad or a months groceries. I wrote a fun quiz comparing fellow Wisconsinites Paul Ryan and Jeffrey Dahmer and that made me laugh. Audience seemed to like it as well.

It’s a very fun, exciting show! I hope you get a chance to perform in it or come see it!